Talk to Me
by kytus
Summary: AU. AH. New school, new girl, no friends. Making them can be hard. Follow an eight-year-old Bella as she tries to fit in with her new classmates.
1. Chapter 1: Enter Isabella Swan

**AN**

Me, being a bad parent, is being neglectful of my Dramione, but I just can't concentrate on it at the moment (or should I say year; I think it's been that long anyway!) I will try and get back to it; it's just not working with me.

Try this New Twilight fic out though while you're waiting. Not beta'ed.

**Disclaimer:** Stephenie Meyer owns the rights. Me; I own a copy of the books.

**Talk to Me**

**Chapter 1: Enter Isabella Swan**

"Bella, are you ready?"

A sulking girl entered the kitchen, a big frown marring her face.

"I don't want to go," she said dropping her backpack on the flooring and hopping up onto a kitchen chair.

"Bells, we've been through this many times. I've already let you miss a week; you can't keep putting this off."

Charlie placed a granola bar in front of his daughter, "Besides, it's time you started making some friends."

"I don't want any friends," she moaned.

He ruffled up her hair. "Eat your breakfast, kid."

* * *

The cruiser pulled up in front of a red bricked building; a sign labelled it as Forks Elementary School.

Bella hated it already.

It was surrounded by trees, its branches creating a canopied shelter of leaves, giving the feeling that it was about to be swallowed whole by the forest. A small playground lay to its right, within it stood a jungle gym, slide, swings, roundabout and painted games upon the floor. Many of the children were already making use of the facilities while parents caught up on the town's gossip.

Leaning her head forward, Bella hugged her bag to her chest. She wanted to go home.

Charlie turned towards her, "Ready?"

"No."

He sighed and got out the car and walked to the rear passenger's side. He opened the door.

"Come on, Bells."

"No."

"Bella, I'm really trying my best here."

She huffed, passed her bag to her dad and reluctantly stepped out of the car. The place felt even more intimidating when you don't have a hunk of metal to shield you. She self-consciously pulled her hair forward.

"See it's not so bad. Now let's go find your teacher."

She grudgingly took the hand offered to her and made their way towards the administration offices on the opposite side of the school; away from the others enjoying their morning play before lessons started. This suited her just fine; anything to put off the inevitable.

Charlie rang the security doorbell and waved at the woman behind the reception desk through the window. She smiled back.

"Hi there, Chief!" her amplified voice came through the speaker plate. "You got little Isabella there with you?"

Charlie's answering smile could not be seen through his thick moustache, but you could hear it in his voice. "Yes. Finally."

The speaker emitted a chuckle. "Better late than never I always say. Well come on in."

There was a sharp buzz from the speaker, Charlie pushed the door open and approached the desk.

"Hi Cynthia, busy?"

"Always, especially when we have new students," she said smiling at Bella. She in return hid behind her father's leg; this lady looked like she wanted to hug her. Cynthia looked towards the Chief, "You didn't tell me she was shy."

Charlie shrugged. "I wouldn't say that. But you know more about kids that I do."

"Well, we better get you settled then," again with the smiling. "I'll just get your paperwork, and then show Isabella where she will be spending her time here." She pushed her chair back from her desk and rolled across the floor to come to a stop at a filing cabinet. Opening a draw she flipped through the letters and pulled out a file labelled 'Swan, Isabella'.

Rolling back to her desk she flipped open the file and read through the papers, "Oh, here we are. Isabella you're going to be starting in the 3rd grade with Mrs Chamberlain. Charlie, I just need you to sign this and I will take Isabella to her classroom."

He signed the papers then turned to Bella, kneeling down to her level.

"Right kid, I know you don't want to be here but please try and make an effort to talk to the other kids. Can you do that for me?" he asked turning her around and putting on her backpack.

She turned to face him again.

"Bells?"

"I'll try," she mumbled, grasping the straps of bag.

"That's all I ask. Right," he coughed and stood up. "I'll be back to pick you up at three o'clock."

She nodded in affirmation.

"Good." He clasped her on the shoulder in goodbye and strode out of the door from where they entered. She watched him longingly.

* * *

"So, Isabella, you ready to meet your teacher and classmates?"

The inevitable was upon her.

Mrs Cope stood and walked around her desk to come stand by Bella. She held out her hand. Bella looked at it dubiously.

Eventually she took it and Mrs Cope gave her a big smile.

"Okay, this way."

She led Bella through a door at the right of her desk and down a series of corridors decorated in colourful pictures made by the students. Lions, tigers, bears, houses, sunshines and monsters.

"You are going to love it here. I just know it. The other children in your class are very friendly, you'll get on like a house on fire-" Bella didn't understand "-and there are always lots of fun things to do during recess."

Bella didn't agree.

The halls were empty but she could hear and see the children pulling out their chairs and books through the windows.

All of a sudden, a blur streaked passed the end of the hall and Mrs Cope gave a shout.

"Mary Alice Brandon! I hope that is not you running through the halls!"

The blur stopped and turned.

A short pixie like girl smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry, Mrs Cope," she said gasping from her run and pushing her waist length hair from her eyes. She had big grey eyes framed by thick black eyelashes that blinked in forgiveness. "I didn't want to be late for class and you know that today is show and tell and I'm just ever so excited to share with everyone what I have brought in today."

The girl talked a mile a minute. Bella didn't know if she liked that or not.

"Tut tut. Breaking one rule does not mean you should break another to make up for it. Two wrongs don't make a right."

Mary scrapped the toe of her Mary Jane across the floor. "I'm sorry, it won't happen again."

"Very well, now you can _walk _with me and Isabella here. She just started today and will be your new classmate."

Mary looked at her and Bella felt like hiding.

She gave a curious glace and broke out into a huge grin.

"Oh, we are going to be the best of friends," she clapped and launched herself at Bella.

Bella was winded from the force of the hug and the shock of being hugged by a stranger. She didn't know if she liked this either.

Mrs Cope coughed, "That's enough, Mary. We don't want to frighten her on her first day."

"Sorry," she said pulling away quickly.

"Right, come on. We don't want to be any more late."

The three of them continued down the hall with Mary chirping by her side.

"So, my name's Mary and I'm in the 3rd grade; we are going to have so much fun. Just wait till you see what I bought in for show and tell. It's the best ever, no one else has one. What's your name?"

"Erm, Bell-"

"Oh, like the Disney Princess? I'm so jealous. I wish I had such a pretty name."

"Okay, girls we're here," Mrs Cope said pushing the door open.

Mary raced in to hang her coat and bag on her peg leaving Bella behind. "Sorry, I'm late Mrs Chamberlain. But me and Mrs Cope brought a new student for you."

"Thank you, Mary. Can you go and take your seat now."

The lady standing at the front of the class came to stand before Bella. "Hello there, you must be Isabella. I'm Mrs Chamberlain, your new teacher."

Bella looked between the two women. She so did not want to be here, and she dared not turn to look at the rest of the people in the room otherwise she may start crying.

"Well I'll leave you to it then," Mrs Cope said.

"Thanks, Cynthia."

Mrs Chamberlain led her to the front of the room.

Oh no she wasn't!

"Okay everyone, I would like you to meet your new classmate Isabella Swan. Why don't we give her a warm welcome?"

Oh yes she did.

Bella looked at all the staring faces and went bright red.

"Hello, Isabella," they chorused.

She really wanted to go home.

* * *

**AN **

It won't be too long – about 10 chapters.

See you soon.

Kylie


	2. Chapter 2: Purgatory in the Playground

**AN**

This chapter was betaed by rain-it-shall, who is now my new best friend. Thanks again for checking through this so quickly and fixing all my silly mistakes.

Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns the rights. Me; I own a copy of the books and the movies on DVD.

**Talk to Me**

**Chapter 2: Purgatory in the Playground**

Bella had been in class for approximately an hour and a half.

Being the new girl, she had been left alone for the most part, just listening in on what had been covered in previous lessons so far. That had not stopped the stares though. Bella hadn't felt more uncomfortable in her life.

After being shown where to hang her bag and coat, she was shown where she would be sitting for the rest of the term.

The desks were grouped in fours. She was seated at a table with two boys and one other girl. Every table was grouped like this. Apparently, Mrs. Chamberlain liked to strictly enforce diversity throughout her classroom. Who knows what would have happened if she had been a boy and messed up the room plan?

And the room itself was way too organized to be a normal third grade classroom. Nothing was out of place. All the pictures and posters were mounted on backing paper and hung perfectly straight, with the same amount of space between each one. If it wasn't for the bright colors of the decorations, she would have hidden under the table, expecting Miss Trunchbull to enter any minute. Desks, drawers, boxes and coat pegs were all labelled in perfect order and precision.

Seems like Mrs. Chamberlain was a neat freak, and her students were required to follow in her footsteps; even the gerbil, whose cage was unnaturally clean.

At her table of four, she was seated next to a skinny, black haired boy with round, wire-rimmed glasses. If it wasn't for the absence of a scar on his forehead she could have sworn he was that boy from those wizard books. Instead, his name was Eric Yorkie, who had taken it upon himself to try to lend her every colored pen and pencil known to man since she sat down.

Across from him was the other girl, Lauren Mallory. She looked friendly upon first inspection. She had corn silk hair, tied into pigtails with bright pink ribbons - to match her pink pinafore - and rosy red cheeks that helped accent the cherry red studs in her ears. But when Bella hesitantly looked into the pale green eyes glaring at her, she knew right away that they would not get along. You would have thought she would be glad to be joined by the new girl so that she would not be left with the two boys anymore.

If there was any consolation, the other boy, who took the remaining seat across from Bella, had happy eyes and permanent dimples (he hadn't frowned once since she had joined the group). He was a chubby boy with curly black hair and a double chin, and was wearing a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles t-shirt. Bella liked him instantly, even if he seemed the boisterous type. Not that she was planning on talking to Emmett McCarty though.

The bell rang.

Emmett gave a loud whoop, frightening Bella half to death.

"Okay everyone. Collect your coats and line up at the door. It's time for recess."

Oh no! This was the time of the day that Bella dreaded the most, along with lunch. The other children were more likely to approach her in the open space of the playground.

Reluctantly, she followed suit, tucking in her chair and putting on her coat, hat and gloves. Everyone had gotten quite chatty with one another so Bella hung back at the end of the line.

Soon, she was being lead outside, being forced to come face-to-face with her demons.

Not that she was ready.

* * *

"Mary, where are you going?"

"To ask if the new girl wants to play."

"Why would you do that?"

"She looks like she needs to be rescued from Eric."

"She looks fine. Leave her alone. Now let me finish braiding your hair."

Mary pouted and sat back down on the giant, plastic toadstool next to Rosalie. She picked at the fringe of her scarf as her friend picked at her hair.

"Hey Mary, what's with the long face? Wanna come and play on the slide with me and Jasper?" the newcomer said gesturing to the boy at his side.

"No thanks, Emmett. I wanted to go and make friends with Belle."

"Who's Belle?"

"The new girl," piped in Rosalie with a scowl and a pull of Mary's hair.

"Oww!"

"Sorry."

Emmett looked confused.

"I thought her name was Isabella?" Jasper said quietly.

"In the hall she said it was Belle. Maybe she likes to be called that name instead."

The boys shrugged.

"So," Emmett grinned. "We should ask her to play. Do you think she would like to?"

"No. She seems fine making friends with Eric._ And Jessica?"_ Rosalie growled. "What's _she_ doing talking to her?"

"It looks like they're arguing."

* * *

From the moment she had left safety of the classroom, Bella was on the lookout for a tree to hide behind, or at least somewhere she was less likely to be noticed. She skirted around the perimeter as no one was hanging around the edges.

Children were running around, jumping, skipping, shouting and screaming. Activities were not appealing to her.

But someone had noticed her.

"Hi, Isabella," Eric said. "Want me to show you around?"

"Bella."

"What?"

"I like being called Bella best," she said quietly.

"Oh. Okay, then." He smiled, "So, Bella. Would you like me to show you where to find everything?"

She shook her head, "No, I'm okay."

"You sure? I know everything there is to know here."

"I'm-"

"Eric," a female voice shrieked. "Leave her alone."

He glowered in return. "She's fine, Jessica. I was going to show-"

"I don't care." She shoved him out the way to get closer to Bella. "Hi, my name's Jessica Stanley. You're Isabella Swan. I'm in your class."

Was there any point in introducing herself to anyone?

"Ye-"

"She prefers Bella."

"What?" Jessica said glaring at Eric.

"She likes to be called Bella."

"Oh. Well anyway, come and play with me; I'm so much more fun than Eric. All he does is sit and read his backwards books."

"They're called Mangas."

"Whatever, she's coming with me." Jessica linked her arm through Bella's and started to drag her away.

Did she not have any say, even if she was too scared to say anything?

"Hey!"

"Sorry, Eric!" She didn't sound it as she waved over her shoulder at him.

She did not like this. Not liking this at all.

Jessica was just the type of person that she avoided: loud, pushy, demanding and commanding. If Bella had _really _been given a choice she would have told them both to leave her alone. But if she had to choose, she would have gone with Eric. He was quieter, like her, if not a little overeager to please. Plus he had books, and Bella loved books.

"So," Jessica was saying. "You will be much better off playing with me and Angela - she's my best friend you know - and you don't want to stay with some stinky boy. And believe me, he hates washing. You're lucky though, because it looks like he had a bath today..."

She continued on while Bella turned her ears off.

It looked like the school gossip had taken a shine to her and she had inadvertently gotten swept up into it. She just hoped that this BFF of hers wasn't the same way.

They were walking to the opposite side of the playground, past the sandpit and swings, and a grouping of toadstools that some children had climbed up to sit on. Two of those children Bella was familiar with: Mary, who she exchanged waves with, and Emmett, who gave her a huge grin. They were joined by two other's.

As they passed, Bella wanted to ask Jessica who they were but she was still talking, not caring if she was being listened to or not.

They were approaching a small grassy area when Jessica exclaimed, "Angela! Look who I've got." Like Bella was some kind of possession.

A tall, brown haired girl turned around and smiled. She was the total opposite of Jessica and Lauren. She was rather unassuming in her muted colors and dark clothing, and when she gave a quiet 'hello', Bella immediately liked her. She was the type of person that she would like to have as a friend if she were so inclined to make them.

"Angela, this is Bella. She's going to be our friend."

Angela nodded, "I'd like that."

Bella's answering blush was in pleasure.

She was intimidated somewhat by Jessica , but Angela, she could see herself getting along with her without feeling like she was about to jump down her throat.

"Come." Jessica grabbed both of Bella and Angela's arms and pulled them down onto the grass. They arranged themselves into a circle. "So, Bella, who's your favourite Spice Girl?"

* * *

Mary was pouting.

"Well," said Rosalie. "She seems to be getting on."

"It's not fair," Alice cried. "I saw her first. She's supposed to be _my_ best friend."

"She hasn't even been here a day, there's still loads of time to talk to her," said Jasper, always the diplomat.

"But Jessica won't ever share. I'll never get the chance," she moaned, throwing up her hands.

"Don't worry," he said, giving her a hug.

"Hey, you want me to push her over so she will have to go see the nurse?"

"Emmett!" Rosalie hit him. "That's a stupid idea."

"Hey!" he said rubbing his arm. "Alright then, what about you just steal her?"

"She's not a cookie."

"You come up with a better idea then."

"I don't know. Jasper?"

"Fine." He furrowed his brow in thought. "Why don't you ask her to be your partner in P.E?"

"That's boring."

"Shut up, Emmett."

"Oww. Rosalie!"

"No," said Mary. "That's a good idea. Then I can show her how much nicer I am than _Jessica Stanley_."

* * *

"...never going there again. My mom was so mad. So we moved here. Then my Mom got a job working at the hospital. Now my dad can stay home more. What about you, Bella? Why did you move to Forks?"

"Erm, my mo-"

She was cut off by the sound of a boy coughing. She blushed and turned around.

He had messy, copper colored hair that was as shiny like a penny. She wondered if it was natural or if he just had a habit of pulling on it.

"Hi," he said matching Bella's red cheeks.

"Edward!"

He and Bella cringed at Jessica's shout.

"I, um, I, I-"

"Yes..." Angela encouraged.

He gave a quick glance at Bella. "Never mind."

He walked away before any of them could reply.

"He's so weird."

"Jessica, that's not very nice to say."

"Well, he is."

"Why?" piped in Bella, curious about the tongue tied boy - one of the few words she had said since joining the pair. Jessica had been dominating the conversations so far.

"He never talks to anyone."

"That's not true. He's talked to me."

"When? He's never talked to me."

"In math, last week."

"What did he say?"

While the two discussed Edward's limited interactions with other people, Bella looked back to see where he had gone.

He was walking to a large maple tree, shaking his head as he clenched his fists. He looked angry with himself. Bella could understand why. She found it hard to talk to strangers too, always worrying about how whatever she said would be perceived, and when she really wanted to get something out but couldn't, she would chastise herself for hours on end, sometimes worrying herself sick.

When he was under the tree's branches he leaned against the trunk and tugged forcefully at his hair, making it even more unruly than it already was. So it _was_ a habit. After a few minutes of calming himself down he slid down to sit and pulled out a book from his coat.

Bella found herself oddly jealous.

She wanted to be doing what this Edward was doing.

Being alone with a book was Bella's favorite thing to do. What she wouldn't give to be him right now.

Until the newness of her arrival wore off, she'd just have to deal with being wanted.

**

* * *

**

AN

I should mention this fic is based on the same timeline as the books, so the year is early 1996. I was born the same year as Bella, so it was fun looking back as it helped me relive my own childhood memories by putting in the 90's references.

They're pretty easy to spot.

**EDIT:** I should appologise to one reviewer. HP wasn't published until '97, but I am a HP girl at heart so I've left it in there. Sorry for the confusion.

Thank you for reading.

Kylie x


End file.
